Hame and trace coupling.



No. 633,401. I Patnted Sept. I9, I899 S. H. SWEARINGEN.

HAME AND TRACECOUPLING.

(Application filed Dec. 27, 1898.)

(No Model.)

u QMML hvrrnn STATES ATENT Price.

SAMUEL H. SXVEARINGEN, OF l-IEDRICK, IOlVA.

HAME AND TRACE COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 633,401, datedSeptember 19, 1899.

Application filed December 27,1'898. Serial No. 700,411. No model- 40all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that LSAMUEL H. SWEABINGEN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Hedrick, in the county of Keokuk and State of Iowa, haveinvented a new and useful Hame- I oscillatory movement to accommodateitself to the horse motion and at the same time to prevent any lateralmovement which might interfere with a straight draft.

Another object of the invention is to enable the coupling to be securelyfastened to a hame and to be arranged so that it will not compress orsqueeze a horse-collar.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination andarrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a hame-tug couplingconstructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a sideelevation, the coupling-plate being arranged in a substantially verticalposition for removal. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view, the partsbeing arranged as shown in Fig. 1. Fig. i is a transverse sectionalView. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of the hameplate. Fig. 6 is adetail perspective view of the couplingplate.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all thefigures of the drawings.

1 designates a hame-plate composed of afront portion and a rearportionarranged at an obtuse angle to the front portion, as clearly illustratedin Fig.3 of the accompanying drawings, and the said front portion hasits inner face 2 recessed to conform to the configuration of a hame andprovided at its outer edge with an ear 3, having a vertically-elongatedslot 3, adapted to receive a hame'ring and capable of enabling thecoupling to be employed on either hame. The rear portion of thehame-plate projects from the hame and extends longitudinally of theharness, being provided near its rear edge with a headed stud or lug 4,which is engaged by a coupling-plate 5. The coupling-plate 5 is providedwith a longitudinal opening 6 to receive the stud 4. The front and rearedgesof the head of the stud are flush with the sides of the shank, andthe top and bottom of the head project beyond the said shank and areadapted to engage-the coupling-plate when the latter is in a horizontalposition. The coupling-plate is adapted to be partially rotated to bringit to substantially a vertical position, as illustrated in Fig. 2 of theaccompanying drawings, and it is then moved vertically to bring itscontracted portion 7 beyond the head of the stud. The contracted portion7 of the opening (5 is disposed toward the front end of the plate andthe rear portion of the opening is en larged to enable the head of thestud to pass readily through it. When the plate is in the positionillustrated in Fig. 2 of the accompanying drawings, it is adapted to berotated on its front side to swing its rear side outward, and thismovement disengages the plate from the stud.

lVhen the coupling-plate is in a horizontal position, the head of thestud 4 spans and projects beyond the contracted portion 7 of the openingand the front end of the plate fits in a recess 8 and is engaged by astaple 9, which passes through the hame-plate and the ha'me to securethose parts together. The staple has straight sides provided withshoulders for engaging the outer face of the harneplate and located atthe top and bottom of the recess 8. The transverse or outerportion ofthe staple is located in the space between the stud and the recess, andit practically forms an extension of the walls of the latter.

The recess, which is formed in an enlargementof the hame-plate, opensrearwardly,

and is curved to conform to the configuration of the curved front end1l-o f the couplingplate and to permit the latter to be turned into andout of engagement with it. By engaging the front portion of thecoupling-plate too in this manneritis effectually prevented fromswinging inward and outward and it cannot interfere with a perfectlystraight draft.

In order to enable the coupling-plate to have a limited verticaloscillation to accommodate itself to horse motion, it is provided at itsfront end with a curved slot 12, arranged concentric with the curve ofthe end 11 and adapted to receive a pin 13, which passes through therecess and the hame-plate to limit the movement of the coupling-plateand prevent it from dropping downward and becoming accidentallydisengaged from the headed stud should the trace become loose.

The pin 13 may be threaded in the perforation of the hame-plate orotherwise secured to the same, and when it is desired to uncouple theplate 5 the pin is removed and the plate is then permitted to rotatefreely.

The invention has the following advantages: The harne-tug coupling,which is simple and comparatively inexpensive in construction, is light,strong, and durable and is adapted to be used on either hame. Thecoupling-plate which detachably engages the headed stud of thehame-plate is permitted a limited vertical oscillation to yield to themovements ofa horse and the head of the stud. The socket and the staplefirmly support the coupling-plate and prevent the front portion fromtwisting or moving inward and outward. The device is adapted to preservea straight draft, and the particular form of the hame-plate prevents thehame from twisting andcompressingorsqueezingthe collar. Also thecoupling-plate is guided in its limited movement, so that there is noliability of its striking the shoulder of an animal.

Changes in the form, proportion, and minor details of construction maybe resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any ofthe advantages of this invention.

W hat is claimed is 1. A device of the class described comprising ahame-plate having front and rear portions arranged at an obtuse angle toeach other, the front portion being secured to a hame and the rearportion forming a rigid rearwardly extending projection, a stud mountedon the rear portion of the hameplate, a coupling-plate interlocked withthe stud, and means for engaging the front end of the coupling-plate toprevent the same from swinging inward and outward, substantially asdescribed.

2. A device of the class described comprising a hame-plate having frontand rear portions arranged at anobtuse angle to each other, the frontportion having its inner face recessed to fit a hame, and provided witha slotted ear, and the rear portion forming a rigid rearwardly extendingprojection,a head ed stud mounted on the rear portion of the hame-plate,and a coupling-plate interlocked ing a hame-plate provided with a stud,a

coupling-plate interlocked with the stud, and provided at its front endwith a curved slot, and a fastening device arranged in the slot andlimiting the oscillation of the couplingplate', substantially asdescribed.

4. A device of the class described comprising a hame-plate provided witha stud and having a recess in advance of the same, and a coupling-plateinterlocked with the stud and having its front portion fitting in therecess and held against inward and outward movement by the same,substantially as described.

5. A device of the class described comprising a hame-plate provided witha recess, opening rearwardly, a staple for securing the hame-plate to ahame arranged contiguous to the recess, and a coupling-plate interlockedwith the hame-plate at apoint in rear of the staple and having its frontend supported by the staple and the recess, substantially as described.

6. A device of the class described comprising a hame-plate provided witha recess, a staple arranged contiguous to the socket, a stud mounted onthe hame-plate, a couplingplate having an opening to receive the studand interlocked with the same, said couplingplate extending beneath thestaple and into the recess and provided with a slot, and a fasteningdevice passing through the slot and limiting the movement of thecouplingplate, substantially as described.

'7. A device of the class described comprising a hame-plate designed tobe secured to a hame, a coupling-plate pivoted between its ends to thehame-plate and provided with a curved slot, and a fastening devicepassing through the curved slot of the-coupling-plate and mounted on thehame-plate to limit the pivotal movement of the former, substantially asdescribed.

8. A device of the class described comprising a hame-plate, a staplepassing through. the hame-plate for securing the same to a hame, saidstaple projecting beyond the hame-plate to provide a loop, and acouplingplate pivoted between its ends on the harneplate and having oneend arranged within the loop formed by the staple, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

SAMUEL H. SVEARINGEN.

\Vitnesses:

J. P. TALLEY, GEO. L. BARTow.

